The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday issued notices to the secretary local government and secretary law to file comments on a petition seeking declaration of an amendment in Sindh Local Government Act allowing dual citizens to contest election.
Zulfiqar Ali Domki challenged the third amendment made in Sindh Local Government Bill 2015. He stated that according to Article 63 (1) of the constitution of Pakistan dual citizens could not contest election as the said article clearly states: “A person shall be disqualified from being elected or being member of Majlis-e-Shoora(parliament) if he ceases to be a citizen of Pakistan or acquire the citizenship of foreign state.”
The petitioner stated that as loyalties of dual citizens are divided, how they can be sincere to Pakistan when they already have taken oaths of another country. Citing the Sindh government, secretary local government and secretary law as respondents, the petitioner pleaded to the court to declare the third amendment in Sindh local government act as unconstitutional. He requested the court to suspend the operation of the impugned amendment till disposal of the petition. After initial hearing, the SHC issued notices to the respondents to file comments on 9th of September.
